O'Connor devastated for Moran

Kerry manager Jack O'Connor has expressed his sadness at the news that David Moran has been struck down with a second cruciate ligament injury.

Moran is facing another season on the sidelines after tearing the ligament in his left knee while training with Kerin O'Rahilly's last week.

The 23-year-old had only just worked his way back to fitness from tearing the same ligament in a league game against Monaghan last April and the injury is a devastating blow to the player who had battled back into the Kerry panel.

"It’s a massive blow for David. He had worked very hard to come back from the first injury, he had done everything right, his rehab had gone well and it was just a freak accident," O'Connor is quoted as saying in the Irish Examiner.

"He was very close to playing again and we were figuring that within a couple of weeks he would be seeing action.

"It’s a big setback for Kerry as well. We missed him last year because he was playing well when he got injured. It’s a devastating blow because he had worked so hard to get back. For it then to all get snatched away again, it’s cruel."

Kerins O’Rahillys chairman Frank O’Connor added: "It’s desperate news from his own point of view and from the club’s and the county’s. He just jumped for a ball and came down and felt something going and the knee swelled up. He’d put a lot of time and effort into getting back to full fitness and being so close now this happens. It’s awful."